Course Description

As with all of our classes, our Adobe Photoshop training classes are hands-on and project-driven. In this 2-day introductory class, the projects include retouching and restoring a damaged vintage photo, and creating a composite shadowbox, a composite postcard and a magazine cover. For more details on the specific features covered, see the list under Class Topics.

Because students will work along with the instructor to complete a series of projects, we recommend using two displays in our online classes (this could be two monitors, two computers or a computer and a tablet), so that the student can keep one eye on the instructor’s screen as they work.

A copy of the workbook and the data files will be sent to you prior to the start of the class. The workbook for this class is available as a paperback or as an eBook.

Who Should Attend the Introduction to Adobe Photoshop training class?

This class is designed for someone who is comfortable using their computer, but is new (or fairly new) to photo editing using Adobe Photoshop. It is also appropriate for those who are lightly using Photoshop, but know that they are missing pieces of the Photoshop puzzle. The intent of this class is to provide a solid foundation for using Photoshop effectively—no matter how you intend to use the program after class. Photographers, print designers, web designers and even home enthusiasts with stacks of family photos will all benefit from the foundation established in this class.

The first day focuses on “the big three”: interface, selections and layers. The second day starts with an introduction to masking before returning to photo editing basics: the retouching workflow and a number of quick fixes that can make your images pop with just a couple of clicks.

Prerequisites

Students attending this training class should already have a solid understanding of their operating system (Mac or Windows), know how to use their keyboard and mouse, and how to drag a program from one window to the other on a dual monitor system. They should understand how to open programs, open, save and close files, and how to locate files on their computers. This is an introductory class, so no prior knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is required.

Class Topics

Working with Selections

Learning how to select areas of an image allows you to target a correction to a specific location. In this lesson, you will learn to create geometric selections, freehand selections, edge-based selections and color-based selections.

Layer Basics

Harness the power of layers in Photoshop for maximum editing flexibility. Learn how to create, view, and rearrange layers, along with how to use blending modes, adjustment layers, smart filters, layer styles and text effects.

Masks and Channels

Masks are used to isolate and protect parts of an image while allowing you to make corrections to the unmasked areas. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the concept of masking and the Refine Edge dialog box as you remove a subject from its background.

Basic Photo Corrections

Use a variety of tools and commands to improve the quality of your photos. In this first project, you will learn the basics of acquiring, resizing and retouching a vintage photograph.

Quick Fixes

Sometimes one or two clicks in Photoshop can turn an image from so-so to amazing. These quick fixes include red eye removal, brightening an image, creating a panorama, blurring the background, extending the depth of field, optical lens correction and moving objects seamlessly.

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